Complexity measures like Function Points are probably more relevant here.
Perl
$a = "2";
$b = $a + 3;
is less complex/has fewer FPs than the equivalent C
char* pA = "2";
int b = atoi(pA) + 3;
especially if you count the type declaration as a FP…
Scripting wins by making the environment smarter, at the expense of predictability.
$a = "abc";
$b = $a * 3;
# returns "abcabcabc"
$x = "69";
$y = $x * 3;
# y = "696969" or 207 ?